Parishioners of the mosque in Kotelniki appealed to Putin

Representatives of the Muslim community in the Moscow region’s Kotelniki, in their video address to Russian President Vladimir Putin, complained about the ongoing raids and lawlessness of law enforcement agencies at the mosque.

The video address was published on July 10 on the official YouTube channel of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Moscow Region.

In their video address, a group of Muslims described how OMON officers behaved provocatively during the latest raid, insulted worshippers, disrupted the Friday prayer, sprayed toxic gas in the premises, and also used electric shock torture on individuals. According to them, the raid was conducted in violation of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The mosque’s worshippers asked Putin to prevent the humiliation of Muslims.

They stated that OMON officers entered the mosque in their shoes, used brute force, and insulted Muslims.

“At that moment, women and children were also present in our premises. The actions of the OMON officers disrupted our Friday worship. When asked to explain the reason, the OMON officers sprayed the contents of a fire extinguisher towards the worshippers,” the statement noted.

According to the worshippers, the Muslim community of the urban district of Kotelniki was established with the support of the Supreme Mufti, Sheikh Ravil Gainutdin, and is legally registered in the territory of the Russian Federation. One of the goals of its establishment is to relieve the mosques in the center of our capital.

“We exist solely on the contributions of worshippers, do not receive assistance from the state, rent premises legally, and are officially registered as a local religious organization,” the address emphasized.

The worshippers are confident that “the actions of the OMON officers cause significant harm to interethnic and interfaith peace and harmony in society.”

In their address, representatives of the Muslim community in Kotelniki also emphasized that they are against violations of migration legislation, but they cannot track down lawbreakers among the worshippers, as this should be done by competent authorities outside the mosque’s walls.

At the end of their address, the representatives of the Muslim community called on President Putin to intervene in the situation and take strict measures.

Last week, at the prayer house located in a multi-story building in Kotelniki, OMON officers came during the Friday prayer and sprayed tear gas. In a video published by eyewitnesses, it can be seen that worshippers are fleeing the mosque en masse.

The Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Moscow Region condemned the latest raid by Russian security forces at the mosque in Kotelniki on the same day.

“The Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Moscow Region categorically condemns the barbaric actions of OMON officers who conducted this degrading raid, which resembled not a document check but an operation to detain particularly dangerous criminals,” the statement notes.

In recent days, there have been increased instances of raids, checks, and detentions of labor migrants in cities and regions of Russia, particularly in the city of Kotelniki.

According to media reports, a large number of migrants live in the city. Recently, law enforcement agencies have been conducting raids in Muslim cafes and hostels, resulting in the detention of dozens of migrants.

As reported by the portal “Voice of Islam,” law enforcement agencies are supposedly fighting illegal migration, although even people with proper documents are subject to deportation.